West 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge is seeing retail space filling up since the New Year with a number of new businesses opening in the area. The retail outlet located at 9045 West 44th Avenue is now officially at capacity with two new businesses under lease and set to be open in the next few weeks. Heavenly Harvest Produce is set to open towards the beginning of February and will offer regionally grown fruits and vegetables at half the price of the major grocery store chains. Owners Russ and Kathy McKee had looked for a location in other Jefferson County cities but found the business climate and city management in Wheat Ridge to be much more conducive to small business owners. Russ McKee grew up in a farming family and has developed his experience into a thirty year career in the produce industry giving him the opportunity to network with growers and suppliers across the region allowing him to buy directly from the supplier and extending those savings to his customers.
Jim Wander has a history as a business owner in the community and brings over thirty years of flooring experience to Jim’s Flooring Solutions set to open mid-February. They will offer a large number of products including wood, tile, stone and carpet and will offer the service expected in being able to talk to the owner anytime.
The Colorado Dental Association is holding its annual Give Kids a Smile Day 2012 on Fri., Feb. 3 by offering free dental treatment to kids. More importantly, it is also a vehicle to demonstrate to policymakers that these children deserve a better healthcare system. Local Dentist Dr. Darren Bennett of Sloanside Dental in Edgewater has volunteered his office as participants and is taking appointments for free care on that day. To join the CDA and Sloanside Dental in this proactive national effort to address the ongoing issue of access-to-care and receive free care, call their office at (303) 274-1100.
TIGAR Gymnastics, 4860 Van Gordon, will offer a one-hour introductory class for anyone interested in learning about rhythmic gymnastics, beginning on Friday, January 20th. Rythmatic coach Marina Carlson, hails from Estonia, where she has trained national champions and Olympians. The class open to children from age 5 – 16. Call TIGAR at 720.898.4427 for more information.
Fans of classic American composers can enjoy a magical matinee of memorable music when the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra performs “Three American Giants” Sunday, Feb. 19, at 3:00 p.m., at the Colorado School of Mine’s Green Center. The address of this location is 924 16th St. in Golden.
The program features Aaron Copland’s “El Salon Mexico,” Samuel Barber’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” and John Corigliano’s “Symphony no. 1 (Of Rage and Remembrance)” with guest artist Erik Peterson on the violin.
In its 59th season, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra of more than 95 volunteer musicians, performing five classical concerts in the winter season and two or three free pops concerts in Jefferson County parks during the summer months.
Tickets range from $8.00 to $22.00, and can be purchased on the Symphony’s website, www.jeffersonsymphonyorchestra.org by phone, 303-278-4237 or at the door.
The League will also check out what the City of Lakewood and other Jeffco entities are doing to energize the neighborhoods around the new rails and how small businesses can be encouraged in the hot spots along the routes. Maps and demographics will help visualize what is happening.
A small group discussion meeting to learn more about all this is planned to take place in Lakewood on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jeffco LWV Office. The address is 1425 Brentwood, Suite 7, Lakewood 80214.
Call Carmah at 303-239-0981 for more information about this meeting. Another meeting will be held in the Golden area on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 9:15 a.m. Call Lynne at 303-985-5128 for location and directions to the Golden meeting. All are welcome: republicans, democrats, independents, men and women. For more information about the Jeffco LWV visit www.lwvjeffco.org.
Seniors who love to ski or snowshoe, but are less than enthusiastic about motoring up to the mountains, can take advantage of a Wheat Ridge Parks & Recreation program that whisks them to popular sites for a day of winter sports.
Each outing features two destinations: one for alpine (downhill) skiers, and another for snowshoers and Nordic (cross-country) skiers.
Coming up:
Copper Mountain and the Gold Run Nordic Center, Tuesday, Jan. 24
Ski Cooper and Turquoise Lake, Wednesday., Feb. 1
Winter Park and Devil’s Thumb Nordic Center, Tuesday, Feb. 7
Copper Mountain and Breckenridge Nordic Center, Wednesday, Feb. 29
Registration opens first Friday for that month’s trips. Transportation fee is $16.00 per trip, and participants must purchase their own lift tickets and trail passes (if required) and provide equipment.
All snowshoe and Nordic skiing outings are geared for the beginner to intermediate skier and snowshoer. Theyrequire a pack lunch and water. All trips begin at Founders’ Park located at 3705 Jay St., (one block east and one block north of the Active Adult Center), and run 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
Call 303-205-7500 for more information.
BY CYNDY BEAL
Whether you like plans for Wheat Ridge’s Main Street depends on whether you like diets – Road Diets, to be exact.
Studies, committees, plans and meetings for the future of 38th Avenue has proceeded in fits and starts for over a decade, and the public got its chance to see and comment earlier this month.
The city of Wheat Ridge hosted two open houses for the 38th Avenue Roadway Design at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center on the morning and early evening of Jan. 5. Road draft plans were displayed showing the “Road Diet” plan – restriping and narrowing of 38th Avenue – between Depew and Upham streets.
At the Open House, a paper draft spanning several feet hung on the wall.
Wheat Ridge Projects Supervisor Mark Westberg explained the many benefits of the Road Diet model. The plan takes the avenue down to three lanes, two for direct traffic, and one for a center turning lane.
Some businesses and residents were not in favor. Concerns about the impact on businesses, emergency vehicles access and possible increases in emissions were raised.
Jim Meeker, owner of Meeker Auto Sales on 38th Avenue, points to Tennyson Street and disagrees with Westberg’s claim that slowing down speeds on a road allows people to see more businesses, thus improving revenue streams for business owners and the city through increased sales taxes.
“When I drive down Tennyson Street I’m paying attention to cars pulling out and car doors opening and not looking at businesses,” said Meeker.
Westberg later said, as a passenger, he sees more businesses and has better views of the street in general at lower speeds. In addition, he said Tennyson has two lanes and no center turning lane, and isn’t an accurate comparison.
According to the 38th Avenue Corridor Study Road Diet Traffic Analysis, “Alternatives 1 and 3 [the present corridor plan] have the least impact to travel time with both options causing only 40 seconds or less of added delay in the corridor.”
The narrowing could add close to a minute at the most, at peak-hours, of drive time on the over a mile-and-a-half stretch. Westberg said they didn’t expect diversion traffic on 44th Avenue or 32nd Street as a result of the fewer lanes. He said construction, in front of individual business sites, would take a couple of days, with work most likely being performed at night.
Read more: 38th Avenue Plan Progresses Benefits, Pitfalls Generate Debate
BY J. PATRICK O'LEARY
Renewal Wheat Ridge, the governing board for the City of Wheat Ridge’s Urban Renewal Authority, has been busy on the development of the vacant lot behind the First Bank Building at the corner of Wadsworth Blvd. and 44th Ave., part of the Town Center North redevelopment project. The current work involves the extension of Vance St., which will serve a new senior housing apartment complex and retail and office development.
“The Town Center North (44th & Wadsworth Blvd.) redevelopment project has been on my radar screen since I was elected in 2005,” says Wheat Ridge Mayor Jerry DiTullio. “The site has sat mostly vacant and has been an unproductive eyesore in our fine city for over 40 years.”
Earlier this year an antique mall was demolished in preparation to build infrastructure for the project: public roads on 43rd Ave. and Vance Street, site grading and installation of storm water detention pond on the northeast corner of site, curb and gutter, water, sanitary and storm water utilities, street and pedestrian lights and landscaping.
Stakes were in place by December for grading, which was expected to be completed by mid-January, according to a project update provided by contractor Weston Solutions.
Progress was unremarkable, with no injuries, but while excavating a storm water detention pond, Weston reported encountering stained soil near an old gas station – remnants of a remediation system—which was then stockpiled and sampled for proper, off-site disposal.
Wheat Ridge’s Urban Renewal Authority purchased the 9.4-acre redevelopment site in the spring of 2008. The 88-unit, age-restricted apartment complex will be located on two-acres on the southeastern portion of parcel, which was sold to developer Wazee Partners.
Read more: Town Center North Redevelopment: Whole Lot A Gradin’ Goin’ On
BY J. PATRICK O'LEARY
You may not have noticed, but early construction has started on the Gold Line, the 11.2-mile electric commuter rail line between Denver Union Station and Ward Road in Wheat Ridge, part of the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks project. Full construction – roadbed, track, structures – won’t start until late summer or fall.
Final design has been underway since August 2010, but construction could not begin until receipt of a $1.03 billion federal grant, which was announced at the Gold Line groundbreaking in Arvada four months ago, according to Kevin Flynn, Public Information Manager for the project.
“The early construction consists of utility relocations,” says Flynn. “Two such pieces of work have been completed on Denver Water lines in the section of the project that is shared with the Northwest Rail in Denver. These were near 38th Avenue and Fox Street, and 48th Avenue and Fox Street. Water line relocation is underway on other locations on 48th Avenue and on the site of the former Denver Post printing plant. Demolition of buildings, including one already taken down on the old Post plant property, will continue this quarter. In the near term, these will be in the Denver portion of the line.”
Crews will begin moving wastewater and gas lines in the path of the new tracks in the next three months. Sixty utility relocations will be performed as part of the project.
RTD will begin the process of acquiring right-of-way from private property owners as well.
“There are a total of 96 parcels on the Gold Line, 44 of which have been acquired from either the railroads or the cities and Adams County,” says Flynn, “but the other 52 parcels are privately owned. RTD has assembled updated legal descriptions for appraisers to start the acquisition process and notices of intent to acquire are ready to be mailed to the first set of owners, including parcels at the Ward Road and Arvada Ridge stations.”
The Gold Line generally follows the path of the freight railroads north out of Denver Union Station to Utah Junction, east of 60th Avenue and Pecos Street, where it turns west and follows the BNSF Railway line into Olde Town Arvada and on to Wheat Ridge. There are seven stations on the Gold Line in addition to the terminal at Denver Union Station. They are at 41st Avenue and Fox Street, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road.
The opening of the Gold Line is scheduled for summer 2016, and the current schedule has trains operating every 15 minutes in each direction throughout the day between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., and every 30 minutes between 4 and 6 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight.
For more information, visit www.rtd-fastracks.com or call the project hotline, 303-299-2000.
BY DIANNA PRUDEN, MT (ASCP) SBB
Blood Bank and QA Manager,Exempla Lutheran Medical Center
On September 7, Dianna Cillessen arrived at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center anticipating the birth of her second child. After carrying her baby for 39 weeks, she delivered a healthy, 8 lbs. 3oz. boy named Beau. Then the unexpected transpired. With no warning, Dianna began to hemorrhage. For the next few hours a team of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals worked at a furious pace to keep Dianna alive.
While the average adult holds approximately 12 units of blood in their body – Dianna received 41 units that day. At one point, Dianna had no blood pressure or pulse. Dianna experienced an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). Most women, including women who have had children, have never heard of it because AFE is so rare that most physicians will never encounter it in their professional careers.
Due to the amazing skills of the medical staff and the 41 unknown blood donors, Dianna survived this traumatic experience. It is no wonder that Dianna’s anesthesiologist told her, “You are a miracle!” It took the right combination of professionals and citizen donors to save Dianna Cillessen and bring Beau’s mom home.
BY SUE SCHAFER
State Representative, House District 24
Hello, Citizens of Wheat Ridge and Edgewater. I write you about exciting things happening in the Colorado Legislature and how honored I am to serve as your State Representative!
You can always contact me at 303-866-5522, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or www.sueschafer.com. I am your voice and your vote at the State Capitol so please send me your opinions on state matters!
First, many legislative district borders changed. Wheat Ridge and Edgewater, however, will still be within House District 24 with me as your Representative and Senator Cheri Jahn as your Senator until January 2013. See the new map at www.sueschafer.com/newhd24map.html. In January 2013 Senator Jahn will move to a new district and we will have a new Senator. I will stay in House District 24 working to earn your confidence to be re-elected in November, 2012.
Second, many of you have contacted me saying that jobs and the economy are the #1 priority. If you, family members, friends or neighbors are looking for jobs I expect new laws will help put people back to work and put food on the table. I pledge to work in a bipartisan manner to find solutions to our jobs and economic challenges.
For example, I believe Colorado companies and Coloradoans should be prioritized for state contract work which would create good jobs. We must continue to build the new energy economy to provide jobs to thousands of young and middle aged people who need training and employment in this growth industry, we must reduce the amount of red tape and regulations on small businesses so we unleash entrepreneurial drive and we must stop cutting public education funding which is counterproductive to having a 21st century workforce.
In Jefferson County we are fortunate to be an education, research and innovation leader with the Colorado School of Mines, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the collaboration between CU, CSU and UNC for jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
With FasTracks, the new St. Anthony’s, Red Rocks Community College, Warren Technical High School, and Jefferson County Schools we are poised to become a prosperous county and state. Other current growth areas are health and elder care, education, technical trades, bioscience, and tourism.
Another state priority is better accountability and openness about how government money is spent. For example, we will debate the results of the enterprise zones. The zones receive tax breaks with questionable results. At one time LoDo Denver was a depressed area and became an enterprise zone; today LoDo is a thriving business district. What is this zone’s responsibility for paying its fair share of taxes for public services such as safe highways, bridges, and world-class public education?
My first public town hall meeting with Senator Cheri Jahn will be Feb. 1, at 6:00 p.m. at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. Hope to see you there!
Contact Rep. Sue Schafer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 303-866-5522, or www.sueschafer.com
As the chairperson for the Parks & Recreation committee and the citizens group that planned the dog park, I would like to tell you about this group made of multi-generation citizens including some founding members of the City of Wheat Ridge and neighbors from the fruitedale park area.
We have been meeting for almost a year. We opted to use land already owned by the city with an existing infrastructure including a parking lot, pathways, washrooms etc. We broke down our budget needs to the basic minimums exploring all available resources, new and used.
We held public and neighborhood meetings, advertised in local newspapers, Channel 8 as well as the city’s website. Avoiding a “final” map, we created a soft layout that would allow us to make changes once the physical outline was created. We were sensitive to local’s needs, resulting in the relocation of the entire fencing line because of a single request made by one of the neighbors.
City councilors responded positively to our recommendations. It echoed our citizens request for a dog park. We were one of only two cities left without one. As a realtor for Nostalgic Homes, it is one of the more popular requests from today’s buyers.
I wish Mr. Birney would have attended our meetings to share his opinions. To call this park an “inside job” is an insult to the committee members that worked tirelessly on this project. The Parks and Recreation committee is certainly open to hearing requests from all citizens regarding suggestions for our parks— even one for cats.
Change is difficult Mr. Birney but, I want to assure you that the one thing that has not changed, is the level of enthusiasm and determination to keep Wheat Ridge relevant and moving forward.
If I can be so bold as to tell you that our founding generation, the one you quote and identify with, is still kicking down doors and breaking barriers. This is the connection between that generation and the new ones moving in and raising their families all around us. I invite you to take part in our growth, in our change and in our success.
By the way, thank you for your suggestion for the park name (DiTullio’s Dog Park). He loved it, though he also realizes that this was a group effort for the good of the city, hence the name Wheat Ridge Dog Park.
Guy Nahmiach